Syed Ali Akash
PhD
Peace and Conflict Studies
Syed Ali Akash is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Melbourne. He holds a Master's degree in Peace and Conflict Studies . Prior to commencing his PhD, he worked on several nationally and internationally funded research projects focusing on countering violent extremism (CVE), post-conflict peacebuilding, and the climate-conflict nexus. In 2025, he served as a Graduate Researcher Academic Associate (GRAA) in the School of Social and Political Sciences (SSPS), supporting undergraduate teaching and learning.
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Thesis
Unbecoming Post-Conflict: Navigating State-Led and Locally Owned Approaches for Peacebuilding in Post-Intervention Waziristan
Waziristan is a part of the tribal belt in North-Western Pakistan experiencing a phase of transition marked by episodic violent conflict, post-conflict reconstruction, and constitutional reforms. My research examines the state-led and locally-owned peacebuilding and reform approaches in Waziristan and their interaction in the post-conflict environment. In doing so, the focus is on identifying the areas of collaboration and areas of resistance between both approaches. The conceptual framework informed by systems thinking is centered on the 'Integrated framework for Peacebuilding' to analyze the actors, approaches, and structural issues involved in the overall process of conflict transformation.
Research interests
- Conflict Analysis
- Conflict Resolution
- Peacebuilding